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Coming to Our Senses
Book

Coming to Our Senses

Healing Ourselves and the World Through Mindfulness

Jon Kabat-Zinn
Hyperion, 2005
First Edition: 2004
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

At 600-plus pages, this deeply philosophical book may challenge some readers. But Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, an accomplished scientist, thinker and author, imparts his wisdom in short, easily digestible chapters. He says you can have a more peaceful, contented life if you are open to exploring the spiritual realm and the practice of mindful meditation. Kabat-Zinn, who cites studies and personal experiences, presents convincing evidence that meditation reduces everyday stress, and can help treat depression and fear, chronic pain, cancer and other serious illnesses. getAbstract believes that everyone can benefit from reading this mindful treatise – even those who are already healthy, wealthy and wise. Highly recommended.

Summary

What Is Mindfulness?

The practice of mindful meditation enables you to live in the present without judging, interpreting or analyzing. Mindfulness is the ability to experience moments without thinking. It exists in that precise instant when you see a bird – right before you start thinking to yourself, “Wow, that bird is beautiful,” or “I wonder where he’s going,” or “Hey, I saw that exact same bird yesterday.” Mindfulness also means not dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. It is a way of slowing down and focusing on the simpler things in life. Mindfulness is probably the healthiest, most stress-free state you can embrace.

What Meditation Is and Isn’t

As the pace of daily life accelerates, placing yourself in a state of timelessness is important. You can control the present – at least in your mind. Buddha perfected the practice of meditation and expounded on it. He taught that people should not cling to ideas, expectations, relationships, feelings, possessions or even their bodies. Instead, he said, they should always be open to possibilities and opportunities.

Meditation is the ideal way to deliberately foster mindfulness, and it is available...

About the Author

Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. is a best-selling author and expert on stress reduction and mindfulness in medicine and health care. He founded the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

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